Little Remnants
by Enide Dear
Summary: Growing up in the labs, all they have is one another...but that is almost enough.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Little Remnants part 1  
Author: Enide Dear  
Rating: NC -17 for violence. Complete AU

Pairing: Nothing explicit, KadajxYazooxLoz

Summary: Growing up is hell

***

The room which Yazoo was pushed into by none to gentle hands was very similar to his own. It had a bed, neatly made, a toilet in a semi-secluded corner, no windows, one heavy door and some toys spread out on the floor, mostly soft, cuddly things and absolutely nothing out of metal.

The only thing that differed was the boy sitting on the floor, his legs sticking out and a stack of building blocks in front of him. The blocks were neatly piled into an inverted pyramid, each level bigger than the one beneath.

Yazoo stood still, studying the boy who stared back without blinking. He'd seen himself in mirrors a couple of times, and in other reflective surfaces. This boy was heavier than he was, and taller, and probably one or two years older. But he had the same pale skin, the same white hair falling into his eyes, the same green eyes with the vertical pupil that none of Yazoo's caretakers had. It wasn't as much looking into a mirror as looking into what *might* have been.

It made Yazoo wonder. About a lot of things.

The other boy looked away first, and gestured at his pyramid.

"I'm Loz." He said. His voice was familiar too, although Yazoo had never seen him nor any other child before in the research facility where he'd grown up. "Wanna play?"

"Mm." Yazoo stepped up to the pyramid. On some instinctive level he recognized the challenge in the boy's voice, and that was also comforting. It made sense, the way his keepers seldom did.

The boy who'd called himself Loz blew annoyed at the hair falling into his eyes and then poked the pyramid, which fell over. He shoved the pieces over to Yazoo, who quickly rearranged them. Under his clever fingers and Loz's watchful eyes he built up a statue of a roaring dragon, each wooden block perched with perfect balance. When he was done he sat back.

"I'm Yazoo." He smiled. He smiled often, but this was a special smile, one he hadn't used before, the one he *meant* and Loz recognized it as Yazoo knew he would. He smiled back, and then, shyly, put out a finger and touched Yazoo's hand. Yazoo almost withdrew; he didn't like being touched which was why he always wore clothes that covered as much of his body as possible when he was allowed. But this touch felt…right. The finger was cool and smooth and clean, much like his own but stronger.

"We're the same." Loz said, still letting his fingertip slide over Yazoo's knuckle. "That's good. I'm tired of being alone. It hurts."

"Yes."

The boy wiped at his hair, which fell around his head like an unruly mop, trying to get the fine strands to stay behind his ears without success.

"I can help you," Yazoo offered, nodding at the hair.

Loz looked up, surprised.

"How?"

"Stole a scissor. I'll cut it short for you."

"Yes! But they'll be watching, so you must hurry."

"They're always watching."

Yazoo got up and took the paper scissor he'd stolen from a pocket and stepped behind the boy's back, which was much broader than his own. He could hear the keepers muffled voices of sudden fright even from outside the room, but they calmed down when he started to carefully cut the hair. He wondered if they'd though he'd stab Loz like he had stabbed a keeper with a broken test tube once. The thought was ridiculous; he would never hurt this boy who was him, but different.  
He cut neatly, trimmed back the long hair and made it short, teased the strands up in the neck, away from the face. When he was done, Loz took his arm and pulled him down, into an embrace. Yazoo let it happen, delighted at the touch and warmth and strength, although he could hear the keepers getting frantic again outside. Apparently Loz had hurt them before as well (which wasn't hard to believe, with the strength in the boy's body he could have easily caused pain) and they feared he'd hurt Yazoo now, which was also stupid. But the keepers were stupid.

"Yazoo?" Loz held him so tight it almost hurt, but that was just good. He'd never let anyone hold him like this before, but from Loz he wanted it, and more, much more.

"Mmm?" Yazoo wrapped his own arms around the boy to let him know he liked it and to share the comfort.

"I don't want them to take you away. I want you to stay here, with me." He whined.

Yazoo sighed.

"We can't stop them. They're too many and too strong, and they have weapons. They'll hurt us."

"They hurt us anyway." Loz let him go, just a little bit, so he could pull up his orange jumpsuit and show dark bruises on his ribs and belly. It looked like he'd been kicked with heavy boots. "Why do they do that? I hadn't even done anything."

"They want to see what happens when you get really angry." Yazoo slowly rolled up the sleeves to his own jumpsuit, showing bruises and cuts. "They want to see what you'll do."

Loz frowned.

"I'm not old enough for that, yet. I'm not ready."

"I know. I told them I wasn't, but they didn't listen."

"They never listen." Loz sighed and pulled him back into the sweet embrace. Yazoo felt like he could just lay there, forever. He'd never felt more…whole…in all his short years, even though he was still far from complete. Something was still missing, but this was better, so much better, than being alone.

"When they come to take you away…I can hurt them." Loz caressed his hair, whispering in his ear. "I'm stronger than I look. I'm almost as strong as they, and they're much bigger than me."

"Will you do that for me?"

"Would you want me to?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll do it."

"I'll help you. I got the scissors and I'll cut them if they try to take me away from you."

"Good."

The door opened and they both tensed, getting ready, but instead of guards with guns like they'd expected, a keeper came in with another child, an even smaller one. The keeper hurried out, not daring to be alone and unprotected with the pale children.

Yazoo and Loz looked up, green, cold, judging gazes falling on the new child who looked back at them. He was much smaller, only just out of diapers probably, and lean to the point of thin in the orange jumpsuit they all wore. But there was something there, in the unwavering stare, in the way he stood, that radiated….something. Yazoo didn't quite have the words for it, but he realized that this must be what Loz saw when the older boy first looked at him. It was a sense of…being better, of being closer to something *right*, some ideal. Yazoo looked away, dropping the subconscious challenge and instead looked up on Loz. Together they rose and went slowly over to the little boy who smiled at them.

"I'm Kadaj," he said. "Where is Mother?"

Yazoo's breath caught. Loz burst out crying.

***  
Yazoo and Loz listened in awe to the young boy's tale.

"Mother will know. She knows everything. We have to find her and make her proud, so she will love us. Then she'll make all of this-" he waved a hand at their prison, their world "-go away."

"But where is she?" Yazoo asked. It didn't occur to him not to believe Kadaj; it felt as if the boy was telling him things he'd always know, deep inside, but had somehow forgotten. He knew they were true.

"I don't know. They stole her away. We have to find her." Kadaj smiled. "We are her sons. We are brothers."

"Brothers," Loz said breathlessly. They sat cross-legged in a small circle on the floor, so close their knees were touching.

"We have to get out of here, and find her." Yazoo said, but looked for the confirming nod from Kadaj.

"We will. We won't let them stop us. We won't let anything or anyone stop us getting to Mother. With her there will be a Reunion and everything will be good. Without her, we're just…Remnants of what we could be."

The door suddenly opened and the Remnants came to their feet; Loz stepped in front of his brothers, crouched on the balls of his feet, hands fisted. Yazoo pushed back Kadaj behind him and tore the scissors into two dull blades, one for each hand.

"Come now, you can play more later." One keeper said, sounding calm but smelling nervous. "There's ice cream for good boys who come nicely."

None of the Remnants answered or moved, tense as coils. The keepers tried with their stupid, silly pleadings for a while longer, but then gave up. Armed guards with truncheons and helmets came in, and Loz hissed with anger.

"You are not taking my brothers away!" He screamed at them.

"Leave us alone!" Yazoo flickered the scissor blades threatingly.

But the guards were bigger than they were, and stronger and lots more; Loz broke a knee on one and head-butted another to the floor, but was grabbed and thrown across the room where he hit the wall with an impact that drove the air from him and jarred his teeth. He had time to come unsteadily to his feet as Yazoo's blades were pulled from him (one of the guards were bleeding heavily) and see his long-haired brother kicked down and pulled away from Kadaj, who hissed and bit vainly after the guards. When the door to Loz's cell was slammed shut and he was abandoned once more, he crawled into bed, sobbing and crying with anger and loss. But even as he cried he still felt a faint hope.  
He was not alone anymore.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Little Remnants part 2

Author: Enide Dear

Rating: NC -17 for violence. Complete AU

Pairing: Nothing explicit, KadajxYazooxLoz. Just cuddling

Summary: Growing up is hell

**

A year past, and the keepers let the Remnants meet more and more often; it seemed to do wonders for their behavior problems. Loz stopped fighting and crying so much, Yazoo stopped stealing and Kadaj stopped looking at the caretakers as if he was wondering what their blood tasted like.

When they were together they sat and talked, mostly Kadaj telling made-up stories which the others listen to intently, despite the fact that they'd never cared much about fairy tales before, or they tumbled in mock fights like lion cubs, laughing and grinning, or they played games. Before, when they had been alone they hadn't seemed to know what to do with the toys they'd been given, but the more they were together, the more they started acting like normal children.

Most of the violent outbursts died away and it got easier to handle them, since the threat of being sent alone to their own rooms always made them cave in and agree on whatever tests the researchers wanted to do, if not happily so at least without trying to stab someone. They were continuously measured, weighted, taken blood samples on, tried for strength and stamina in different test runs specifically designed for them. They were far more clever and strong than normal children, but that was expected.

But they still didn't manage limit breaks. No matter how hard they got beaten and kicked, they just kept hitting back and attacking in normal ways, even when the odds were impossible and their ribs and bones where broken. They were savage and feral and sneaky as hell, but they kept trying to defend themselves against the guards' clubs with fists and feet. One time Loz got a concussion and had to spend days in a respirator, but he didn't limit break and they didn't dare pushing him further for fear of killing him. Perhaps they really were too young; Loz wasn't ten years old yet and Kadaj only five.

**

Kadaj had arranged all the chairs around the table and placed the brothers' favorite cuddly-toys and dolls around it. Loz sat opposite Yazoo, each with a stuffed bear in their arms and empty cups and plates before them, pretending to eat.

"Loz. Yazoo. It's time to go back to your rooms." Three keepers came in, carefully. The children had mellowed significantly, but they were still very difficult to separate. Two armed guards stood outside the room, waiting and ready.

"But we're having a tea-party!" Kadaj pouted. "Can't we play just a little while longer?"

He sipped his cup. "Please?"

"Not now, Kadaj. Loz and Yazoo needs to go back to their rooms, and you are going to meet professor Hojo again. If you are a good boy and don't kick him in the groin this time, you'll get a lollipop."

"I don't want to meet him! Last time he stabbed me!" Kadaj said angrily, waving his now healed hand in the air. Fortunately for the children, they mended quickly.

"Just to see what you can do. He's just trying to help you, you know that."

"Can't you have a cup of tea with us first?" Yazoo asked the keeper, looking up under his bangs, squeezing the toy.

"And then we'll come nicely." Loz added, sipping the water in his cup.

"Promise." Kadaj smiled innocently.

The keepers exchanged a look. The Remnants hade never invited anyone to share their games before; this might be another big breakthrough.

"Alright…just one." The stepped up to the table and took the doll-sized cups.

"Just one," Kadaj agreed. "Them too." He nodded at the guards, who shrugged and stepped up, weapons ready, as the keepers nodded to them.

Kadaj poured the cold make believe tea water into the cups; it looked dark, the keepers reflected so maybe it really was tea. The Remnants drained their cups, making yummy noises. The keepers and guards drained theirs.

Kadaj smiled as he saw their eyes go green and hard and his brothers threw away the toys.

"Now, this is what we are going to do…"

**

Two guards and three keepers supervised the three Remnant children through the research facility; it was a common sight. If anyone had looked closer they might have noticed that the guards had the visors of their helmets down and that the keepers kept their eyes on the floor or on the papers in their hands, but no one looked. The fact that both guards lacked their guns and that the two eldest Remnants had their hands in their pockets also went unnoticed.

They walked through the laboratories where they had been so many times before, and Kadaj helped himself to a large, sharp scalpel from a table.

The rouse worked until they reached the lower floors just above the garage. The Remnants had never been here before, and there were no reason for them to be there. The guards by the door tensed.

"Hey – what are you doing here?" One of them fumbled for his com radio.

"Loz! Get him!" Kadaj shouted and there was a flash of light, then Loz was suddenly next to the guard, tearing the radio away and smashing it against the wall. Another flash and the child grabbed the other guard's radio, destroying it as well. He yelped as the guards seized him, but he was quickly dropped as five snarling monsters appeared out of nowhere, throwing themselves over the guards and making short work of them.

Kadaj spun, scalpel held ready as he listened down the hall.

"They're coming," he said tensely. "We have to get out now. You," – he commanded a keeper "-open that door."

The woman obeyed, punching a code and opening the door for them. The Remnants ran out, their guards by their side.

"That car! You drive!" Kadaj ordered a guard who immediately sat in, his partner on the passenger seat, two keepers and three Remnants in the backseat. "Go! Go! Go!"

The car screeched, howling threw the underground garage. More guards by the door out, but they went down in a hail of bullets from Loz and Yazoo, who were grinning with excitement and beaconing freedom, and the car crashed through the door, out into the world.

It didn't get far. The safety measures and well-founded paranoia of the facility and the orders to kill rather than let the Remnants get away stopped it brutally; a flash of bright light caught the car, swallowing it up and then there was an ear-drum shattering sound as the vehicle exploded into a million pieces.

**

"That will keep them busy. It will be hours, maybe days, before they sort out the remains and realize we're not there." Kadaj laughed, hidden as he was in a ventilation shaft overlooking the empty plain and the wreck. People were already milling around the scorched metal and bones, poking and shouting angrily.

He looked back at his brothers, who waited for him to tell them what to do next, smiling and armed and free.

"Come. We need to get out of here. We're going to find Mother."


	3. Chapter 3

Author: Enide Dear

Rating: NC -17 for violence. Complete AU

Pairing: Nothing explicit, KadajxYazooxLoz. Just cuddling

Summary: Growing up is hell

**

They ran for hours across the dead, dusty wastelands, tiny little pale ghosts amongst the cliffs and sand, constantly alert for the sound of engines or helicopters, but none came. Their rouse had worked. But they didn't dare to slow down, not yet, so when Kadaj got too tired to run, Loz hoisted him up on his back and carried him.

They reached a huge, sprawling city as the moon started to fall again, grimy, tired and agape at the sounds and smells and sights. So many people! And yet no one seemed to care about them; they saw lots of other children sitting in street corners or ambling listlessly around, poking at trashcans or begging. No one looked twice after the three brothers.

On Kadaj's command, they spent the night huddled together in between some empty crates in an abandoned warehouse. They had to beat up some other kids who held the place first, but that wasn't hard. Yazoo and Loz slept tired, but Kadaj stayed awake, keeping watch and plotting.

It was their first night in freedom.

**

"Give us food." Loz said to the man behind the stand that said 'hot dogs' on the side.

The man looked down on the boy, half his size and dressed in the tattered remains of an orange jumpsuit. He shook his head, sadly.

"Not unless you show me some money first, son."

Loz frowned and cast a glance to the side where his brothers stood patient, just as hungry as he was. They needed food. What was the man talking about? He thought of something the keepers used to insist on.

"Give us food…please?" he tried.

"Look, kid. I know you're hungry but…there's hundreds of orphans in Midgard these days. If I feed one, I have to feed all. And I got kids at home that I need to get money to, alright?"

The man seemed to believe he had a choice; it just didn't make *sense*.

Loz patience ran out.

He jumped up to the window and grabbed for the sausages; when the man screamed in anger and tried to push him out, Loz threw a punch at him that felled the bigger man to the ground, bleeding and unconscious. Surprised at the ease with which the man had fallen, Loz hesitated, until he heard Kadaj shouting:

"They're coming! Hurry, Loz!"

He grabbed handfuls of cold sausages and buns and jumped down as Yazoo came running past the kiosk with Kadaj in his arms; the youngest boy grabbed a couple of soda cans from the window as they passed by. Angry, screaming people ran after them and the Remnants ran for their freedom, scared beyond anything to have to go back, dodging smartly between legs and people, pushing over a few to make persecution harder. A blond guy in goggles and pilot gear called some truly awful names after them as he was almost run down by the pale children. Mother would not have been pleased with such a foul mouth.

Most of the screams died away very quickly, but some followed.

"In here. Over there." Kadaj ordered them into an alley, fenced off with metal wire. Yazoo dropped Kadaj and climbed over, quick as a cat, and caught Kadaj who'd been thrown over by Loz; Kadaj did a neat vault before landing. Loz scrambled over just as the outraged citizens reached the alley, ready to run again. But to their surprise the men didn't follow, didn't jump the fence or tear it down (as the Remnants knew they'd be able to do once they were grown ups) but just stood there, angry and shouting and uselessly shaking the fence.

"They can't." Kadaj mused surprised. "They're weak. Much weaker than the guards and the keepers."

"And they have no weapons." Yazoo added with a smirk.

"We are better than they are!" Loz cheered.

"Let's get out of here before any real soldiers come." Kadaj added prudently. The three brothers exchanged a triumphant look, stuck their tongues out at the crowd and ran away.

**

A little while later they sat on a roof top in the sun, eating cold sausages and buns, their first meal in freedom. They sat quiet, digesting the food and the events of the day. They'd learned a lot – that they were stronger than these people, faster, more skilled. But also that they wouldn't get anything but what they took for themselves, but that was alright, that made sense. They were predators, and everyone else…prey. At least they would be, once they grew up. Then they wouldn't have to be afraid of *anything*. Until then they still had to be careful, though, in case the keepers and soldiers came back. That was a lot to learn in just one day.

A few minutes later they learned why they shouldn't open soda cans that had been shook, thrown and carried on a very bumpy ride


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Little Remnants part 4

Author: Enide Dear

Rating: NC -17 for violence. Complete AU

Pairing: Nothing explicit, KadajxYazooxLoz. Implied Valenwind

Summary: Growing up is hell

Author's note: Valenwind! w00t!

**

The gun would fit Yazoo almost perfectly.

Kadaj had been observing the tall man for almost an hour, waiting patiently and unnoticed in a corner of the bar for the perfect moment. The gun strapped to the man's leg was a big and heavy piece, beautifully constructed with a dangling chain and a muzzle like a dog's snout. It might be a bit heavy for Yazoo yet and the recoil must be murder, but Kadaj's older brother would be delighted and he'd grow into it soon enough. The little guns they'd stolen from the Soldiers were mere toys compared to this thing.

Kadaj watched with interest as the man carrying the gun turned towards a blond man who sat down uninvited by his side and started talking to him, distracting him and making him turn enough in his chair to leave the gun exposed. Yazoo had a natural flare for stealing and Loz made up for his lack of dexterity by simply running fast enough that his victims literally never saw him coming but Kadaj had to rely on stealth and grace, both of which he had plenty of.

Living on the streets had taught the Remnants much; that they were faster, stronger and more skilled than the city's inhabitants and that taking what they wanted wasn't hard. They moved outside of society with the grace of sharks around a school of fish; taking what they wanted and when they wanted it. Still, Kadaj knew they were far from what they could be, what they had to be, if they were to make Mother proud. They needed to get better, much better. And they needed weapons, because somewhere out there were still the keepers and Soldiers and professors who wanted to keep them away from Mother…

He crept forward, darting between chairs and tables in the none too crowded bar, closing in on the gun. The dark man was still distracted by the blond, and Kadaj carefully reached out a stealthy hand.

"Oh, no ya don't ya little punk!" A hand reached down, fast, much faster than Kadaj and grabbed him with surprising strength; terror seized him as he was hoisted through the air, realizing he couldn't get free. The blond man had a firm grip around the nape of Kadaj's neck and Kadaj gasped with sudden fear and bewilderment; no one had been strong or fast enough to treat him like this since the institute.

Piercing blue eyes – but not the mako-shining eyes of the Soldiers in the institute – glared at him.

"Chief, what are you doing?!" the dark man who's gun Kadaj had wanted asked shocked.

"This little brat tried to steal yer Cerebus, Vince." The blond growled and the dark one put an instinctive, protective hand over his gun, still strapped onto his leg.

"It's just a kid. I'm sure it was just meant as a prank…"

They didn't seem like keepers or Soldier's but Kadaj couldn't afford to take any chances; he couldn't go back to the institute, separated from his brothers, cut off forever from Mother…his hand snaked back to the lining of his pants where he kept the long, sharp scalpel he'd stolen.

"Well, he shouldn't go around trying to steal thing like that. He should…"

Kadaj stabbed, aiming straight for that disquietingly blue eye.

"No!" A metal clad hand shot out and wrenched Kadaj's hand aside; he hissed as the scalpel missed the eye and just tore up the vulnerable skin next to the eye, all the way to the bone.

"Fucking Hell!" the blond swore in pain but didn't let go of his grip around Kadaj's neck. "What the Hell was that?"

"Let me go!" Kadaj screamed, trying to kick, but uselessly. He was caught between the blond and the dark haired man and now the metal hand was gripping him the hardest. He was getting truly terrified now; these people were faster than him, stronger and better, he'd been too cocky in assuming there were no other predators out there. What if they would kill him? Mother would be so disappointed. The though brought tears to his eyes. "Let me go!"

"He tried to stab you!" the dark man said angry and shocked, squeezing Kadaj's hand until the scalpel fell from his numbed fingers. "What is this kid?"

"Damned if I know," the blond tried to wipe at the blood running freely down the side of his face. "But we'd better find out, 'cause he does remind ya of someone, doesn't he? Old Sephy didn't have kids, did he?"

"I don't think so. Here, take this." The dark man handed over a red piece of cloth, pressing it against the wound.

"Thanks, love. Well, I think…argh!" Kadaj was left hanging in the dark man's metal grip as a shock of electricity shook the blond. Seconds later a bullet *pinged* of the metal hand, forcing it to release Kadaj completely.

"Let go of our brother!" Loz snarled, wielding the phaser threateningly, it's small claws sparkling with electricity. Yazoo stood behind him, the two guns in his hands.

It didn't take the dark and the blond man more than half a second to get to their feet, clutching their own weapons, but by then it was too late; Kadaj had already grabbed his scalpel and jumped down from the table and ran for the door, his brothers close behind.

Cid snarled and was going to run after the kids, but was stopped by Vincent's hand on his shoulder.

"You are bleeding, Chief. It looks pretty bad; the wound goes to the bone. We need to get you stitched or at least taped."

"Jest slap on some damned tape then and let's go! Those little murderous bastards…."

"Have gone." Vincent said firmly. "Let them go. We'll find them, some day. And anyway, they're just kids."

"Sephiroth was jest a kid to, once." Cid grumbled but let himself be distracted by Vincent's touch and led away.

**

Kadaj was shaking when he led his brothers down a deserted alley, the fear of the institution, the shock of being caught, the humiliation of the situation, all combining to rattle him to the core. He sank down on the alley floor, feeling his worried brothers crowd up on him, cradling him, stroking his hair, trying to calm him. He felt an icy, killing cold creep up inside him, far too familiar.

"Are you alright?" Yazoo wondered. "Did they hurt you?"

"I'll kill them," Loz promised, angry and scared. "I won't let them touch you again!"

"It's not them," Kadaj managed to press out between cold lips, "It's Mother. She's…she's so angry with me…"

"Mother? But she's Mother! We are her sons." Yazoo said bewildered.

"She loves us, right? She wouldn't hurt you. We are her sons." Loz begged.

"No, we…" It hurt *so much* inside now, she was screaming at him, so angry so disappointed. "There is someone else." He hadn't told his brothers about Him, not yet, but now that they held him as he shook at Mother's punishment for his failure, he spilled out the story, told them about Sephiroth. Mother's firstborn, the one they must strive to become.

Yazoo and Loz sat quiet as Kadaj told them about how they must earn Mother's love. It made far too much sense. Kadaj gasped out the tale between the flushes of deadly cold that Mother flushed through him, so angry that he'd almost been lost, which would mean loosing Sephiroth once more

"Do you think…Mother loves him more than us?" Yazoo asked quietly when he was done. Loz was already crying.

Kadaj nodded. His mouth tasted of his own blood.

"She does…now. But when we find her, when we rescue her…she'll love us as much as him. More than him. We will be better than him, then."

Yazoo and Loz nodded and helped him up on his feet again. He was very resilient, but Mother's punishment had been more mental than physical and his legs still felt wobbly. Spitting out some of his own blood on the sidewalk Kadaj drew himself up. He needed to be strong, for his brothers.

"Let's go." He said firmly. "We'll find something to eat and then…then we'll go looking for real weapons. Not just these toys. We need to grow up, and we need to find Mother."

"We'll follow you," Yazoo agreed.

"Anywhere," Loz nodded.

Kadaj almost smiled as a rush of warmth from his brothers' words flushed the last vestiges of cold from his soul. He led them into the falling darkness with unfaltering steps, boasted and supported by their faith.


End file.
